Sunday, August 11, 2013

Hard Lessons

As I write this, we are two weeks away from the start of my twentieth year in education.  It doesn't seem possible.  Still, the beginning of a new year brings excitement, anticipation, and eagerness.  I have missed my kids so much and cannot wait to see how they have grown.

The first weeks of school are always about routines - establishing and practicing.  Theoretically, all basic skills and procedures should be mastered during this time so that the "real learning" can begin to take place.  We practice walking in the hall, raising our hands, heading our papers - basic things that we will do many times each day.  Piece of cake? No.  There will always be a special few continuing to do the Electric Slide on the way to lunch rather than walk down the hall single file or yell out the answer in the middle of a test.  However, most will catch on quickly so we progress.

As we progress, some lessons prove harder than others.  In second grade, regrouping was always a challenge. Drawing pictures, using manipulatives and repeated practice were helpful, but they were hard lessons.  As a dyslexia therapist, I work each day with extremely bright children who struggle to read.  They often come to me defeated and lacking confidence. As we go through the years, I can see pride and confidence ooze from them as they beg to read.  Success comes even when lessons are hard.

Students aren't the only one learning hard lessons.  Teachers face them too.  Although they don't involve regrouping or reading, some things are just a bit much to wrap your head around (even with a college degree or two!)  We can't understand how some in the world view education by numbers while we see education as faces.  We can't understand how not everyone loves our children as much as we do. Children should be treasured, not abused or forgotten.  Yes, even as grown ups, there are hard lessons.

Tomorrow, there will be a memorial service for a former student.  He was the brightest of the bunch and his smile lit up our classroom.  His family loved him and his siblings and they were very involved in our school.  He went on to achieve academic and athletic greatness in high school.  He volunteered and helped others as a coach and a mentor.  Bad things like this should not happen to good kids.  I guess that it's just another one of those hard lessons.

When the bell rings on August 26, I will be ready.  Ready to see my kiddos again. Ready to start a new year off.   Some of the lessons will be easy, some won't be. But one thing is certain, I will hug my students a little tighter, listen to them a little longer, and try my best to help them through the hard lessons.

Love and blessings!
Puddin'

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